


Double Joy

by ifwegettherebysunset



Series: High Hopes [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Crow's a Good Bro, Did I Mention Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Feel-good, Fluff, I can't tag more because Spoilers, M/M, Relationship Reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 04:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16110479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifwegettherebysunset/pseuds/ifwegettherebysunset
Summary: Crow decides to surprise Yusei with a visit. He finds Yusei's surprise boyfriend instead, plus a little extra.





	Double Joy

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know how to title my dudes so i went with a quote by a Swedish proverb: "Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow."

When a world tournament circles back to Neo Domino, Crow enters the minute it's announced. Because of his status in the dueling circuit, he's given special privileges―including a room at a hotel he remembers gawking at on his way back to Poppo Time.

Honestly, he doesn't want it. Having financial stability has been one of his life's goals, but all the extra stuff was always more Jack's thing. So when the hotel messes up the booking, he shrugs it off. Plenty of places to stay that are a lot cheaper and a lot less obnoxious. Besides, there's something important he needs to do before he can think about unpacking.

Yusei's apartment overlooks a district of street vendors and hanging lights, full of vibrant people and smells. Crow's recognized and is handed more smiles and free samples than he's had since the miserable airport, and he knows then and there it's perfect for his best friend.

After eating, he pulls up to the building and presses the doorbell next to Yusei's name. It's early evening, but hopefully Yusei's not pulling another all-nighter. Some things never change.

There  _is_ an answer, but Crow doesn't recognize the voice.

"Uh, is Yusei there? I'm a friend," Crow says, looking at the small camera above the name list.

"Oh, you must be Crow!" the person replies, "Sorry, I didn't have my glasses on. Yusei's at work, but you're welcome to come in!"

"Um, I don't wanna impose―"

"Not at all. I'll open the garage for you. Be right down!"

One of the garages at the bottom of the building opens. Crow blinks.

"Okay."

So someone's in Yusei's apartment while Yusei's not there. Which means they're either a  _very_ good friend, or Yusei is living with someone. Someone he hasn't told his other friends about.

And Crow thought  _he'd_ be the surprise.

He pulls into the garage and hits the button the close it. An overhead light clicks on with the motion. The place has Yusei's mark: workbench against the wall, unfinished projects scattered among toolboxes. But there's also another D-Wheel, this one purple with gold accents, compact but obviously meant for speed. Looks like a challenging ride, especially for concentrating on duels. Looks fun.

"Yusei built it for me."

Crow spins. He gapes.

Yugi Muto walks briskly down the two steps from the other apartment door, hand held out. His eyes are a bit different, and his skin is dark, but those are the only differences. Yet the name he gives is―"Atem. Yusei's told me so much about you."

"Uh, yeah." Crow wonders if he should lie and say Yusei's done the same for him. It's odd; Yusei isn't the type to forget this kinda stuff. "Nice to meet you."

Atem smiles. "I've seen you duel. I hope you'll honor me with a game while you're here."

That, at least, is an easy answer. "Always up for a challenge! You look like you're experienced." He nods to the D-Wheel. "Does look like Yusei's work."

"He's very talented."

"Definitely. Never seen anybody like 'im."

Atem nods over his shoulder. "Come upstairs. Is this a surprise visit?"

"Ah, yeah, just landed. How'd you know?"

"We knew about the tournament, but Yusei didn't say you were coming by. I figured you'd call ahead, with how close you are."

Apparently not as close as Crow thought. Kinda hurts, actually, especially when they get to the top of the stairs and Atem opens the door to a front room that's been made a home. Yusei's too Spartan for those pillows and blankets on the couches, or the photographs on the walls, which have even been painted an unobtrusive sandy brown. Across the way, game consoles and messes of wires crowd the TV, along with posters of Duel Monsters, popular video games, and a couple movies. The windows even have nice thread curtains.

To the left is a kitchenette, where there's an actual dinner steaming on the counter. A small table drowns under a tablet surrounded by old-fashioned notepads and a red pen.

"Sorry, I was in the middle of grading," Atem says, rushing to organize the mess.

"You're a teacher?" Crow says, for lack of anything else to say. He almost can't recognize this place as  _Yusei_ _'s_.

"Yes, at Duel Academia. You caught me just as I was finishing dinner."

"Sorry."

"It's no problem. There we are." Atem sets his work on the coffee table. "Do you like ta'meya?"

"Never had it."

Atem grins. "Good chance to try it. I'll call Yusei. Don't worry―I won't spoil the surprise."

While he watches him take out his phone, Crow's struck by how _settled_ Atem looks. He's dressed in loose sweats and a worn black tank top, glasses sliding on his nose. He definitely lives here.

"Yusei," Atem says, and Crow realizes with a jolt that he recognizes that tank top.

Yusei wore it for years.

"There's a surprise for you. Are you finished with the report yet?" Atem's smile grows. "Perfect. I made ta'meya. See you soon." He hangs up. "Yusei just finished at the lab. Grab a plate!"

Crow can't take it.

"Are you his boyfriend?"

Atem blinks owlishly. His cheeks dust red. "Uh. Oh. I―well, yes."

"He never told me he had a boyfriend. Or lived with anyone at all, especially someone who looks like Yugi Muto."

"I get that a lot. The Yugi part." There's something strange in his expression.

"Well, I don't know if you noticed, but that hair's pretty unmistakable."

Atem scratches behind his ear. "I. Think it'd be best if Yusei was here before we talked about this."

Fair. Crow  _would_ like to hear Yusei's explanation for this.

He gets a plate.

* * *

Yusei bursts into the apartment with a big smile. "Crow!"

Despite the confusion, Crow can't help going in for a hug. "Yusei!"

"It's good to see you! How've you been?"

"Yusei, we talked last week!"

Yusei squeezes once before letting go. "Still."

"Well, I'm a bit confused. You've got a nice place, and uh."

When Crow jerks his thumb at him, Atem waves.

Yusei turns pink. "Ah."

Crow punches his arm. "Why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend?! I didn't even know you knew how to date!"

Yusei shrugs a little. "Sorry. I didn't really know how to bring it up."

"Come on, you gotta have a better explanation than that."

He does. He and Atem sit Crow down to tell it over the rest of the delicious ta'meya.

Now, Crow's been through quite a bit of mystical shit. He can stomach magic, soul-sucking monsters, even time travel. When he hears the whole story, Crow has to take a second.

"So lemme get this straight," he finally says, "Atem is actually the spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh that was in Yugi Muto's Puzzle, the one you fought with against Paradox. He got his memories back and went to the afterlife, but he returned because Yugi needed him. Then that screwed up some metaphysical something and his soul couldn't properly rest again. He...called in a favor with Osiris, Ra, and Obelisk. And now he's here, wearing your tank tops and teaching kids how to duel."

Yusei and Atem, now a little red again at the mention of the tank top, look at each other.

"Yes," Atem says. "I kept coming back to the idea. The chance at a life―a full, normal life, with a normal future, like the one I saw in Yugi when I returned. I couldn't go back to that era. I had no idea how my permanent return would impact that. But I had no influence outside of a legacy in Neo Domino, and I knew I had a friend." He shares a smile with Yusei. "I needed time to adjust. So I asked Yusei not to mention me."

"Then you got together," Crow says.

"...yes. That's a more―recent development."

Crow raises an eyebrow. "You sure?"

" _Crow_ ," Yusei says.

"What? He's feeding you and wears your clothes. Clearly took over the decorating. I'd say he's pretty adjusted."

Atem clears his throat. "We've been talking about telling you. I'm sorry it took so long."

Crow sighs. "Well, I can't blame you after hearing all that. How long's it been?"

"Two years," Yusei says, shoulders almost to his ears.

Crow laughs. "And you've already snagged Yusei? Congratulations! He and Aki danced around each other for four."

" _Crow_!"

Yusei looks on helplessly as Atem laughs too.

"So wait," Crow says once they've stopped, "how come you wear glasses? Yugi Mutou never did."

"Exactly," Atem says, "I was using Yugi's eyes. This is as close to my original body as I could get. Apparently I'm farsighted, which does explain a few things from my first life."

Crow almost wants to ask what things. Talk to the wrong person? Misread an important document? Mistake Ra for a chicken?

Instead, he leans back in the chair and nods. "Well, you're definitely worthy of Yusei."

Atem smiles. "No one is worthy of him."

Over Yusei's stuttering, Crow says, "Nah, that just proves it."

* * *

When Yusei finds out Crow hasn't decided on a place to crash, he of course insists on the spare bedroom. With Atem behind him, there's little Crow can do. He unties his bags from the back of his D-Wheel and texts his agent.

The guest room is painted a soft gray, with nice linens on the bed. Closet's empty but for some boxes on a shelf, but that homey feeling stays. Miles better than a stuffy hotel.

"You're an amazing decorator," Crow tells Atem.

Atem smiles. "Thank you. My co-worker helped, though. Ze has impeccable taste."

They end the night with a few rounds of video games. To Crow's surprise, Yusei sits between them instead of in the garage. When the good nights go around, Yusei also follows Atem to the other bedroom.

Granted, Crow's woken by Yusei's step at around two in the morning, but the fact he got  _some_ sleep earns Atem more points.

At around four, there's another step. A few minutes later, Atem's voice is murmuring to Yusei. They both go back to bed.

Basically, the mystical story behind Atem isn't gonna be the shocking part for the others.

* * *

Crow's supposed to be at the stadium in two hours. He finds only Yusei in the main room, eating cereal with one hand and reviewing schematics with the other. He smiles when he sees him.

"Morning," Crow says.

"Morning."

"Where's Atem?"

"At work. Duel Academia has a discount on tournament tickets. Big field trip."

Crow grins. "I'll make sure to put on a show."

Yusei nods. "I'll be there too."

"Wouldn't expect anything less," Crow says, heading to the cabinets, "Though I'm surprised you're not in this."

Yusei shrugs. "I prefer a team."

He doesn't say it to hurt or complain. It's just a fact.

Still kinda depressing.

Crow gets his cereal. "Well, maybe if there's a tag team tournament, you and Atem can enter together?"

Yusei brightens. "Good idea. I'll ask."

"He'd probably ask you first." After a beat, Crow adds, "He seems good for you. I'm happy he's here."

Yusei smiles again. "Thank you."

"And hey, now I can rest easy knowing somebody's feeding you decent food!"

"I ate fine with you guys."

"Yusei, you're great at keeping others together, but you're a mess with yourself." Crow pats Yusei's shoulder. "Face it, you need someone around."

" _Crow_."

Crow laughs.

* * *

From the duelists' box, it's not hard to pinpoint the horde of Duel Academia students―or Atem's hair. Atem's in a light blue dress shirt with a darker vest and black slacks. He's gently guiding one of the students to their seat, patience relaxing his stance.

Crow's smile widens when he spots Yusei approaching the crowd, slightly hunched. He seems to call Atem's name. Atem beams. Both a little pink, like last night, they sit next to each other. Kids fawn over Yusei, crawling over and around Atem to talk to him. It's all taken in stride.

They'd make great parents.

The thought's almost startling. Crow still has to look around sometimes and remember he's made it. Not just in pro-dueling, but in life. He can grow old now. His friends can grow old. And Yusei can have kids, can  _be there_ for kids, with a partner who clearly adores him as he deserves. Of all people, Crow can't think of another person who deserves love more than his best friend.

The announcer bellows the first match's start. Crow's set for the second, so he settles down to wait.

His phone vibrates three turns in. His brow twitches at the ID.

"Yusei?"

"Crow."

Crow stiffens. "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing," Yusei says quickly, "I'm just. I need a favor."

Yusei doesn't stutter. Crow's eyes narrow. He searches the stands, but just sees Atem speaking to his students.

"Where are you?"

"In the bathroom. I wanted some privacy."

"What's the favor?"

When he hears it, Crow gapes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Yusei replies firmly. "I know for you it's―"

"No, Yusei, I trust you. Let's do it."

* * *

Crow summons Blackfeather for the winning blow―not because he needs to, but because the kids  _love_ it. His opponent looks pissed at the loss, but softens when the children cheer. That's the kinda person Crow likes to duel.

Crow points to the sky. "But there's one question that needs answering before the final attack!"

He lowers his hand. People follow his gaze to Yusei.

Yusei, who's getting down on one knee.

Atem's dark skin turns crimson, palm smacking his mouth. Around them, kids and adults jump and wave their excitement while the big screens capture the moment close-up. The ring is clearly hand-made, engraved with Stardust and Black Magician facing each other.

"I-I―" Atem flails for a second. "I― _yes_! Yes!"

Above the uproar, Crow shouts, "That's a yes! Blackfeather, attack!"

The opponent's not even paying attention. Crow doesn't blame her.

* * *

"Thank you, Crow," Yusei says afterwards.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Crow says, "Congratulations!"

Atem's still red. Neither he nor Yusei has stopped smiling. "You've only known me a day. How did you come up with this?"

Crow shrugs. "You guys fought together to save the world. And I'm a pretty good judge of character. You're good to him. Keep that up and we won't have a problem."

Atem nods fervently. "With everything I have."

Yusei's glowing. They both are. Every time they look at each other, it's like they're realizing for the first time that this person wants them as they are. It's like something out of the stories that ended up in the Satellite trash piles, and Yusei should have every moment of it.

"You do realize this is an international broadcast too, right?" Crow asks. "Not like you to not think about those things, Yusei."

Yusei swallows. "I―wouldn't have done it anytime soon."

His phone starts ringing.  _Texts from:_ _AKI, JACK, RUA, RUKA, MARTHA..._

Yusei pales. Atem holds his hand. Crow cackles.

**Author's Note:**

> the proposal developed on its own, which, i bet you could tell but. y'know. F l u f f


End file.
